It was both hard and beautiful to walk our church through a conversation with @kkdumez about Jesus and John Wayne today.
For those who grew up in white evangelicalism, I can’t overstate how much J&JW is the story of our lives. This is a picture of my wife when she was 7…
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For those who grew up in white evangelicalism, I can’t overstate how much J&JW is the story of our lives. This is a picture of my wife when she was 7…
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A John Wayne impersonator visited my wife’s church in 1996 as he toured around the country—something he did for 4 decades.
He preached the combination of Christianity and militant masculinity (literally Jesus and John Wayne) that pervaded the first 25 years of our lives.
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He preached the combination of Christianity and militant masculinity (literally Jesus and John Wayne) that pervaded the first 25 years of our lives.
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My wife’s story is not unique. After we heard from @kkdumez during the @RestoreATX gathering this morning, I hosted an open zoom discussion for anyone wanting to talk about the themes of J&JW. I heard story after story of the damage that militant masculinity has caused.
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I heard from a young man who has a strained relationship with his dad because he didn’t love rough sports. He said, “I just wish the church hadn’t taught us that being masculine meant hitting people on the football field, then maybe my dad and I would be closer.”
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One woman talked about the strained relationships in her family after she questioned their enthusiastic support of Donald Trump in 2016.
Another person said that she and her spouse feel like they’ve been duped their whole lives.
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Another person said that she and her spouse feel like they’ve been duped their whole lives.
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One guy talked about finally getting connected to community at a local church only to be ostracized when he voiced concerns about gun violence. “They are a real Bible in one hand and AR-15 in the other kind of group. They don’t even talk to us anymore.”
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Story after story after story.
It was difficult for sure, but it was also beautifully therapeutic. We laughed, cried, and encouraged each other. I’ve rarely experienced a truer form of “bearing each other’s burdens” than I did today.
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It was difficult for sure, but it was also beautifully therapeutic. We laughed, cried, and encouraged each other. I’ve rarely experienced a truer form of “bearing each other’s burdens” than I did today.
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At the end of the interview, I read the last sentence of J&JW (“what was once done might also be undone.”) and then asked Kristin where we go from here.
She talked about the important of courageously speaking truth and creating safe spaces.
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She talked about the important of courageously speaking truth and creating safe spaces.
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Our church is FAR from perfect, but today we spoke courageous truth and created a safe space for folks in such an amazing way. I am proud to be a part of this church family.
It’s easy to get discouraged, but today was a day of hope.
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It’s easy to get discouraged, but today was a day of hope.
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We have a long road ahead of us if we want to move the white, American church back toward the way of Jesus, but it’s possible.
As Kristin said, what was once done can also be undone, we just need to do it together.
10/10
As Kristin said, what was once done can also be undone, we just need to do it together.
10/10
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